SAN DIEGO -- Former California Republican Party Chairman and candidate for Lt Governor Ron Nehring today issued the following statement in response to the release of the UN's IPCC climate change report and California's climate change policies:

"The verdict is in: the Earth’s climate is changing. Although that’s nothing new. When I hike in the California desert and see layers of sedimentary rock thousands of feet above me, it’s a reminder that our geology and climate are changing all the time.

"The more important question for policymakers is how we respond, and here California is on the wrong track. The money California is spending right now dealing with climate change achieves very little. The taxes being paid under AB 32 are not being used to adapt our state to the impact of climate change; they're being used as a slush fund to pay for pet projects like the controversial bullet train. Meanwhile, Californians’ family budgets are being strained further by higher prices for electricity and gasoline, and higher taxes to pay for green energy subsidies.

"The better approach for California is to focus on adaptation with more robust water and irrigation systems, better management of our public lands to reduce wildfire hazards, stronger coastal infrastructure, and a stronger economy. Continuing on our current path only means a poorer state less able to adapt to drought, wildfire, and other impacts of a changing climate.